Ivanauskas handed Hearts job

Hearts have appointed Valdas Ivanauskas as head coach on a permanent basis following a successful period as interim boss last season.

The former Hamburg and Lithuania striker will be assisted by John McGlynn and the same coaching staff as last term will remain in place.

The Edinburgh club have also confirmed former Dynamo Minsk, Kaunas, Soviet Union and Belarus national coach Eduard Malofeev as sporting director.

Ivanauskas led Hearts to second place in the Bank of Scotland Premier League and success in the Tennents Scottish Cup last season.

But his appointment still comes as a surprise, with former Rangers star Alexei Mikhailichenko hotly tipped for the job.

Hearts will now be looking for stability at Tynecastle following a campaign which saw the departures of both George Burley and Graham Rix.